


The Benefit of Friends

by thewordsleep



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Angst, Friends With Benefits, Fuckbuddies, Jealous Richie Tozier, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mostly Fluff, Oral Sex, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, The gang tortures Richie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 07:43:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21454477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewordsleep/pseuds/thewordsleep
Summary: "Oh yeah, your boyfriend," Kyle says with a twisted smile, snapping his fingers in recognition, "the funny one, yeah. I remember you mentioning that."Eddie blushes very cutely at that, his eyes going wide as he raises his hands, looking between them. "No, no, it's not like that," he says quickly. "We're just friends, good friends--with, uh…"Don't say it, Richie inwardly begs."...benefits."ORRichie tells Eddie they're just fuck-buddies and immediately regrets it.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 32
Kudos: 657





	The Benefit of Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Whew this one took a while! I just had to keep going back and tweaking it, but it's finally done! Anyhow, this fic full of jealous!Richie being very very oblivious. Also it's a college AU and they're all at the same one-? Just go with it...

"Hey, Rich," Eddie says breezily one Saturday morning. They're lying naked in his bed, and he's tracing slow patterns down Richie's stomach. Eddie's soft brown hair fans out against his skin. "We need to talk."

All of a sudden Richie is frozen and overcome with dread at those four horrid words. He hears a million different follow-ups in his head.

They all go something like: _This isn't working_ or _I met someone in my Psych class_ or _Let's just call it, we're better off as just friends_.

But then, what Eddie actually says is, "We need to talk about, like, what this is. Between us, I mean," he bites his lip and shifts under the blanket, his chin resting on Richie's ribs as he stares up at him. "Like, what the fuck _are_ we, Richie?

And that, somehow, is so much worse.

Blame it on years of repression, on a lifetime of Richie never fully owning what he is or who he really loved. Richie's had a plethora of failed "relationships" with guys deeper in the closet than he was, or guys that wanted something he already gave away the minute he met Eddie Kaspbrak in the first grade. And even _that_ whatever-ship didn't happen till they got to college together--and Richie didn't even end up making the first move! (that was Eddie, on their first night sharing their dorm). Richie just… couldn't. Ever. Too afraid of exposing himself. Afraid of reaching out for the one thing he's always wanted, lest he lose him completely.

For this same reason, he goes shock-still at the question, and laughs awkwardly. And then his mouth starts answering before his brain can catch up.

"Hey, why put a label on it?" - _fuck, fuck, what am I doing, **stop**_ \- "We're… buddies, friends--BEST friends, Eds. And sometimes we help each other out, y'know?"

He feels Eddie's body go tense against him, his warm cheek still resting on Richie's chest as he frowns and looks away. Richie feels him breathe out shakily for a few seconds. 

Then Eddie licks his lips, his frown fades and he says, "Alright, okay--so," he pauses, and tilts his head up to look Richie directly in the eye, "so like... fuck-buddies? Friends with benefits… right? Is that what we are?"

Richie tries to read Eddie's expression, but all he finds is curious patience. "Uh," he says, feeling lost, "ye--yes."

Eddie nods fast and looks back down, he shrugs. "Cool. So, we're not exclusive then."

There's a hard lump in Richie's throat at that, because he hates _hatehatehates_ that idea, but he finds he has no voice to answer. His fingers clenching uselessly in the sheets.

"I mean," Eddie goes on, "since it's _just_ sex, there's no strings attached or anything," he muses, and he's back to tracing light circles on Richie's chest, slow and deliberate. Each touch feels like a burn. "That's what you want, isn't it, Rich?"

Richie blinks fast, and tells his hammering heart to fuck off. "Yes," he lies, nodding, "yeah, that's what I want, Eds."

"Okay," Eddie says, and then he's sitting up and kissing Richie's cheek softly. "Cool."

For the first time in a long time, Eddie doesn't sleep in Richie's bed that night.

*

The problem, of course, is that it is so _not cool_.

They're all hanging out at Mike and Stan's dorm room one night, lounging around and watching X-Files on VHS.

Bill is lying upside-down on Stan's bed, with Stan next to him fretting about all the blood going to his head. Bev is sprawled out next to Richie on on the floor, and Eddie is--well.

Ben is sitting at the foot of Mike's bed, and _Eddie's_ sitting on the floor between his legs, his head resting intimately on Ben's inner thigh, with Ben stroking his hair. Slow and deliberate. Eddie even rubs his cheek against him like a cat.

Mike notices this immediately when he enters the room, holding a six-pack under his arm. He raises his eyebrows at Richie but doesn't say anything.

Later, as everyone begins to file out, Mike pulls Richie aside and asks, quietly, "What's going on with you two, I thought you were together?"

Richie's distracted for a second, glaring at Ben's stupidly toned back as he heads out. 

"Huh? No, we're," he pauses as Eddie sweeps past him silently, their arms brushing--slow and deliberate. Richie clears his throat and waits until Eddie's out of earshot to say, "We're… not together, just fucking around is all."

Mike looks at him oddly. "Whatever you say, pal," he says with a sympathetic grimace, and pats Richie on the back.

*

"I'm just gonna say it," Bev says, looking to where Richie is staring at Eddie's back as he chats with some guy on the library steps.

Eddie's pulling his backpack strap tight, like he does when he's excited. His hip is bent ever-so in the guy's direction, standing close and smiling easy. The guy reaches out to touch Eddie's arm.

Richie hates him so much.

"Say what?" He asks through his teeth, unable to tear his eyes away from Eddie _touching him back_.

"That you're an oblivious idiot," Bev says fondly, bumping Richie's side. "But also, that guy is wearing the _hell_ outta those jeans, and those glasses."

Richie frowns and reaches up to touch his own pair self-consciously.

The guy slips Eddie a folded note--a _note!_ And then Eddie's blushing and saying goodbye and walking over to them.

"Thanks for waiting," Eddie says when he reaches them, smiling down at his shoes, the little note pressed between his fingers.

"That blondie was cute," Bev says, smiling toothily. "You get his digits, Kaspbrak?"

Richie's heart constricts. Eddie tugs on his strap again, still blushing.

"You mean Kyle?" He bites his soft lower lip, and grins at them coyly. "Hey now, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. Right, Rich?"

Despite what Eddie will claim later, Richie does _not_ storm off.

*

"Do you think Eds is really into Kyle?" Richie asks Bill one time when they're studying for Lit together in Bill's room.

Bill looks at him, bemused. "Y-you know you a-actually sound twelve, right?"

"Fuck you," Richie says mildly, he's lying starfish style on Bill's bed, "I'm serious, they talk on the phone like, everyday!"

"They have an assignment t-together," Bill states matter-of-factly. 

Richie ignores him. "Also, Kyle just _seems_ like a total dick. Like, everything about him just screams ASSHOLE to me," Richie folds his arms, "you know me, I pick up on that shit fast."

Bill snorts at that, smiling down at his book. "You've never even re-really met th-the guy, Rich."

_"Still."_ Richie gnaws on his pencil, thinking.

"Aww, Richie," Bill sighs, and pets his head. "Bev's right, you a-are an idiot."

*

"I mean, isn't it _so cool_ that we're not exclusive," Eddie says wryly, sighing and tilting his head to the side as Richie kisses up the back of his damp shoulder, pinning him against the wall. "Huh, Rich? Don't'cha think?"

"Mm." Richie doesn't trust himself to actually answer, so he cups Eddie's bulge through the towel he's wearing instead, having just gotten out of the shower.

Eddie's skin is hot and flushed red, the water soaking through Richie's clothes. At the moment he could not give less of a fuck.

"Ahh-yeah," Eddie gasps, arching against him. Richie trails kisses down the back of his neck. "Because, we can do this whenever we want… with _whoever_\--OW, Richie!"

Richie didn't mean to bite down quite so hard, his teeth-marks red and bound to bruise on Eddie's pale skin. He's left hickeys before but never this sharply. Richie eyes the dip of Eddie's shoulder with something primal, as his heart and blood and brain thumps to the tempo of _mine, mine, only mine._

Then Eddie turns in his arms, his towel falling away as he frowns at him. He reaches to lightly touch the spot Richie bit. Beautiful eyes large and curious. Richie wonders how much it stings.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Eddie says, his clear gray eyes admonishing. "Richie, you can't… you _can't_ do that."

This makes Richie go tense. He swallows and asks, voice raw, "Since when?"

Eddie frown deepens and he shakes his head, runs a hand through his damp chestnut hair. "Since now. Since _fuck-buddies,_ remember? Since I'm, I'm..."

The _not yours_ is left unsaid, but Richie hears it all the same.

Eddie looks off to the side, huffing. "Besides, I'm studying with Kyle later, so," he looks down and wraps his arms around himself, "if he asks about it, then what?"

Richie's heart is pounding painfully in his chest.

_Then you tell him I gave it to you and that you're mine and that he can go fuck the fuck off._

He wants to yell it, yearns to.

He wants to push Eddie down and press himself under his skin, so that he can feel Richie there, in every urge, in every thought, in every _blood vessel_ thrumming through his body--just like Eddie's in every part of his.

But, he doesn't.

What he _does_ do is press a soft, silent kiss to the bruise he's made. An apology Eddie accepts with a strangely sad half-smile, letting Richie lead them to his bed.

Because if Richie can't have Eddie with words, then he can at least have him with this.

Richie lays Eddie down, kisses his soft pink mouth as he takes him slowly apart with his hands, the way that only Richie knows how to do.

*

The others aren't helping. Or - they're _trying_ to help, but it's not working.

Bill, who is tired of seeing the pining, keeps pulling Richie aside to have deep heart-to-hearts on sacred movie nights, Mike keeps giving Richie silent judgey eyes, Ben wrote down a list of song suggestions for a mixtape (the list is in two columns on five pages _front and back)_, and Bev keeps making desperate _do-something_ gestures behind Eddie's back.

But the worst by far, is Stan.

Stan--who was the last to pick up on Richie's misery--takes it upon himself to touch Eddie _every fucking chance he gets_. He makes sure to catch Richie's eye whenever he does too, whether it's stroking a hand down Eddie's back, or touching his leg, or caressing his face.

Sometimes Eddie will notice and bat Stan's hands away, amused. But mostly he doesn't. Mostly he just allows it, especially when he's on the phone with _Kyle,_ laughing and letting himself be touched by Stan.

It's the worst, and Richie mopes. All of their friends have good intentions, but not Stan, because Stan is evil, and he must be destroyed.

Richie says as much _to_ Stan, one day while Eddie's distracted on the phone. But Stan just laughs loudly in his face.

"If you don't like it Trashmouth, _do something_ about it," Stan says with a grin, and then he slaps Richie's cheek affectionately, and goes to sit on Eddie's legs.

Stan is pure evil.

*

More than a week later, Richie walks in to find that Kyle is in their dorm room. Kyle. _Kyle_. Kyle is sitting next to Eddie on his bed, reading through Eddie's chicken scratch notes.

Kyle with his hitler-cut blond hair and quarterback shoulders. Kyle with the jeans and glasses he wears oh-so well. Smiling at Eddie and bumping his knee against his like he has any goddamn right. Fucking. _Kyle_.

"Oh hey, I was wondering when you'd get back," Eddie says casually to Richie, looking up from his textbook and spotting him in the doorway. "This is Kyle."

_No shit._

"Hiya," _Kyle_ says jovially, standing up and sticking out his hand as he smiles, "you're Ed's roommate, right?"

Richie suddenly sees red, the blood rushing to his ears. Fucking _Kyle_ just called Eds, _his_ Eds by _his_ name for him! Richie wants to strangle Kyle so badly his fingers clench with it. And what's worse is that Eddie doesn't even react! He just looks at Richie expectantly, like _he's_ the one being rude.

Kyle looks at Richie strangely before going to sit back down.

"Yeah he is," Eddie says after some time, rolling his eyes at him, "and apparently he's a mute now. Kyle, this is Richie, my--"

"Oh yeah, your boyfriend," Kyle says with a twisted smile, snapping his fingers in recognition, "the funny one, yeah. I remember you mentioning that."

Alright, maybe Richie doesn't have to kill him.

Eddie blushes very cutely at that, his eyes going wide as he raises his hands, looking between them. "No, no, it's not like that," he laughs quickly. "We're just friends, good friends--with, uh…"

_Don't say it_, Richie inwardly begs.

"...benefits."

Richie feels his heart crack a little at the word, and he has to lean heavily against the dresser. His blood is pounding painfully in his ears.

"Oh wow, that's... cool," Kyle says, glancing between them.

"Yep," Eddie replies stiffly, his hands folded in his lap. "It sure is."

Richie, for the first time in his life, has nothing to say. He's completely bereft. Numb. He feels like he may as well fade into the wall by this point. Metaphysically _and_ emotionally.

"So then," Kyle says, leaning close to Eddie and speaking quietly, "look, I know this is weird, but," he reaches out and places his hand atop Eddie's, "since you guys aren't serious, would it be okay if I asked you out?"

Richie holds his breath, every muscle in his body as tense as a group-hang with Beverly and Ben.

"Well, oh. I um, I don't," Eddie answers with a stammer, obviously flustered. "I uh," he pauses, quickly pulling his hand away from Kyle's and shooting a desperate look to Richie, "Kyle… uhh. I-I well?... I gue--?"

"Oh, FUCK no!" Richie yells suddenly, finally _finally_ getting his voice back. "That is NOT fucking happening."

_"Excuse_ me?" Kyle says, shocked.

Eddie has an odd expression on his face. _"Richie,"_ he says breathily.

"Hey, Kip was it?" Richie asks, high on adrenaline. 

"It's Kyle, actually--"

"Kevin, whatever." Richie goes and flings the door open. "Could you maybe - like - _get the fuck out?"_ Richie only has eyes for Eddie at this point, who is now glaring daggers at him.

Kyle stands and scoffs at him, says, "I think that's Ed's decision."

"Oh," Richie says, towering over Kyle with a mad grin, "Call him that one more time and see what happens. _Kirk."_

They stand toe-to-toe. Kyle is buff, but he is a few inches shorter than Richie, which gives him some satisfaction. Richie could totally pummel this guy.

"Look, asshole--"

"Kyle," Eddie's firm voice stops them both in their posturing, and they turn to look at him, "I think it's best if you just... go. _Please._ I swear I'll talk to you later."

Richie smirks, triumphant. "Yeah _Kyle_. You run along, now."

Eddie doesn't let him bask in the moment, as he strides forward and pinches Richie by the ear, forcing him down to hip-level. 

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"_Beep-fucking-beep,_ Tozier. You shut the fuck up."

Kyle, after some affronted staring, goes to grab his bag and books and makes to leave the room. Richie hears him mumbling about how weird they both are before the door bangs shut behind him.

*

Once he's gone, Eddie sighs heavily, still holding Richie down by the ear. "What the _fuck_ is actually wrong with you, Rich?"

Without answering, Richie wiggles away from his grip and proceeds to kiss the _fuck_ out of Eddie, pulling him close as he shoves his tongue down his throat. His hands grasping desperately at the cute pink polo he's wearing.

"Richie," Eddie says angrily against his mouth, his fingers digging into Richie's sides. "Stop, we need to talk about this," he huffs as he's thrown back against the door and kissed even more thoroughly.

Not that Eddie is _actually_ trying to stop him, he just growls and grabs Richie's face to kiss back even harder. Biting at his lips, he says, "I'm _so fucking pissed at you right now."_

"Great," Richie grits out, and rips the button on Eddie's fly open, "you're even hotter when you're angry." He goes crashing to his knees, tugging Eddie's jeans and underwear down as he does so.

_"Richie!"_ Eddie glares at him, batting Richie upside the head before grasping his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp with his nails.

Eddie's dick is already hard, the head weeping wetly as Richie wraps his fingers around the smooth base, it twitches against his palm. Richie presses his thumb to the long vein on the underside. 

"...Richie," Eddie says again, but this time it's laced with desire as he looks down at him. Those pretty gray eyes dark with lust.

Richie feels the vein throb against the pad of his thumb. Another bead of come leaks at the head as he tightens his grip around Eddie's cock. He puts his tongue there too.

Eddie knocks his head back against the door, trying to thrust into Richie's willing mouth.

"FUCK, _Richie,_" he sighs, arching and beautiful.

_This is mine_, Richie thinks as he holds Eddie's hips against the wall and sucks him down. He loves watching Eddie come apart under him, only for him. _This is all fucking mine._

*

"Ok, _now_ we actually have to talk about it," Eddie says again later, still catching his breath. He's crumbled in a half-naked satisfied heap on the floor as Richie strips off his own clothes. _"Seriously,_ Rich. You've gotta listen to me this time."

Richie pauses and looks at Eddie, who is blinking up at him languidly through his lashes.

"No, Spaghetti," Richie says sternly, his jeans around his ankles, "_you_ need to listen to _me."_ He kneels down in front of Eddie and cups his hands around his face, bringing their foreheads together. "This? You and me? Is a relationship. We are in a _goddamn relationship_, capisce?"

Eddie just stares at him silently, so Richie grabs him by the shoulders, shaking him a little. "We are _not_ just fuck-buddies. We have never _been_ just fuck-buddies! And I am NOT sharing you with _anyone, ever._ And certainly not fucking _Kyle_. You're _mine_. My--my _person_, my all-of-it. Do you understand, do you fucking _got that, _Eds?" Richie swallows his nerves and finally adds, "Because… if any of that's a deal-breaker for you then now is the fucking time to let me know about it."

Eddie, who has been gaping at him as he spoke with large, sparkling eyes remains silent for a solid minute--and then _bursts out laughing_.

It's not the reaction Richie was expecting. And it goes on for a while too. He's actually a little offended.

"Hey…"

"You, you," Eddie giggles, scrunching up his eyes in that way he does when Richie does something particularly hilarious, or stupid, or a combination of the two. "You… fucking MORON, of _course_ we're in a fucking relationship!" He fists a hand in Richie's shirt, still laughing helplessly, "oh, oh god. Jesus, Richie, you big dummy. I fucking _LOVE_ you."

"What?" Richie is confused, but he's beginning to smile too. "Oh, Eddie Spaghetti Kaspbrak, you sneaky little _fuck."_

Eddie's laughter dies down enough for him to shoot Richie a dirty look. "Hey asshole, that's _not_ my middle name."

"So you were never really into Kyle?" Richie asks, grinning, "and you _love me?"_

"Dude, of course I'm not into Kyle." Eddie cutely scrunches up his nose. "I mean, he's nice and all--and you _will_ be apologizing to him later," he says sternly, pointing a finger in Richie's face, "but that guy doesn't wash his hands after peeing, there's no way in _hell_ I'd ever let him touch me."

"You let _me_ touch you," Richie states happily, so high on euphoria he might even be considering that apology, "and you love me, you said."

At that, Eddie smiles fondly at him, cupping his cheek. "That's because you're properly housetrained."

Richie laughs, and Eddie catches his lips against his, taking Richie by surprise.

_"Of course_ I love you," Eddie tells him softly, his eyes sparkling. "Richie, I've loved you since we were nine years old," he starts to laugh, "when you gave me fake mouth-to-mouth at the lake."

"Oh," Richie says softly in return, smiling at the memory, "so then I win."

"Hm?" Eddie tilts his head at him--Richie is, for the millionth time, caught off guard by just how _beautiful_ he is.

"Eddie Spaghetti Kaspbrak," he says, leaning in close, and grinning softly, "I've loved _you_ ever since we met, when you called me a dickwad for the very first time," he sighs and reaches up to pinch Eddie's cheeks, "you were just too _cute, cute_\--!"

Eddie rolls his eyes and shuts Richie up with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I am [thewordsleep](https://thewordsleep.tumblr.com/) on tumblr ^^


End file.
